The subject matter herein relates generally to socket connectors configured to electrically connect to printed circuit boards, and more specifically, to an electrical contact grid array for use in socket connectors.
The ongoing trend toward smaller and faster electrical components and higher density electrical circuits has led to the development socket connectors for electrically connecting printed circuit boards to integrated circuit packages. Known socket connectors have an open field of contacts in an array. Some of the contacts are designated as signal contacts used to transmit data or convey power, while other contacts in the array provide ground shielding for the signal contacts. In some known socket connectors, each signal contact or pair of signal contacts is surrounded by a group of ground contacts. For example, the contact array may include many parallel rows of contacts. A single signal contact may be shielded by ground contacts on either side of the signal contact in the same row, as well as by ground contacts in adjacent rows. The ground contacts may be balls, beams, or pins that are similar to, if not identical to the signal contacts. For example, although each signal contact may be surrounded by several ground contacts, the ground contacts are spaced apart from one another and may be relatively narrow, such that gaps between the ground contacts in the open contact array may limit the amount of shielding provided by the ground contacts. As the signal transmission speeds increase, adequate shielding of the signal contacts requires additional ground contacts that are located closer together, which may substantially increase the cost of the socket connectors.
A need remains for a low-cost electrical contact grid array that provides enhanced electrical shielding performance.